The Brown & Sharpe Dial-Cal dial caliper has a 1.25" diameter rotating dial with a lock, is made of stainless steel, and measures in inches. The covered rack helps prevent measurement error by protecting the gear from foreign matter. Linear accuracy meets Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) 862 standards. These calipers are for use in measuring inside dimensions (ID), outside dimensions (OD), depth and step.

The caliper measures 0.100" per revolution of the dial. The lock screw locks the dial and holds the sliding jaw in position. Adjustable zero set allows the user to set zero at a convenient distance. The depth rod is integrated into the rack of the caliper, unlike many calipers that offer a detachable depth rod, or none at all. The hardened stainless steel components, including the bar, measuring surfaces, rack, gears, and depth rod, offer corrosion resistance, increased accuracy, and long life. Spring anti-backlash control offers increased accuracy over standard gear configurations. Backlash is the amount of clearance between mated gear teeth in the caliper controls, which prevents the gear teeth from jamming. It is undesirable to have much backlash due to the lack of precision offered by the increased amount of play between gears. Certain gear designs can minimize or eliminate backlash; spring anti-backlash systems use a spring to add a compressive force, thereby minimizing backlash.